On Dissagreeing

Latter-day Saints do not expect objective and sincere evangelicals to be immediately persuaded of the truth of LDS scriptures. People of good faith may in good faith not be persuaded. But to insist in principle on the impossibility if the LDS Scriptures (other than the Bible) being authentic and to claim this on biblical grounds is a misrepresentation of what the Bible actually does and does not say. I personally would be happy to agree to disagree on this and many other subjects-just as I disagree with many Evangelical beliefs while granting that one might in good faith believe them without thereby rejecting God or the Bible as God’s divine word.

It seems that Prof. Blomberg may be ready to make that same concession to the LDS, though he obviously think us wrong on many points, being willing to grant that the biblical language might consistently and in good faith be understood as the LDS understand it without thereby rejecting God or the Bible as God’s word. This changes the discussion from “I am right, and no one who believes otherwise can do so without rejecting the Bible,” which both sides find insulting, to “I grant that things could in good faith be interpreted your way, but I do not believe it is the correct interpretation.” It would be agreeing to disagree, without attributing evil motives to each other for the disagreement. It would also be a step forward in LDS-Evangelical relations.